One Absent Nintendo Switch 2 Launch Title is a Real Head-Scratcher

Summary

Nintendo Switch 2 launches with major power increase & third-party support, missing Genshin Impact.
Lack of Genshin Impact on Switch 2 surprising, considering previous announcements.
Switch 2’s hardware capabilities make it suitable for Genshin Impact, leaving its absence noticeable.

The Nintendo Switch 2 has finally arrived following years of speculation and rumors surrounding its existence. Eight years after the release of the wildly successful Nintendo Switch, the Nintendo Switch 2 has brought with it a massive power increase and several exciting new features to quickly separate it from its predecessor. The system has also brought with it the promise of another packed first-party Nintendo lineup, with the arrival of Mario Kart World at launch along with upcoming titles such as Donkey Kong Bananza, Kirby Air Riders, and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment.

The Nintendo Switch 2 has also been very notable among Nintendo systems for its excellent third-party support. While the Nintendo Switch saw much more success on the third-party front than previous Nintendo consoles, the Nintendo Switch 2 brings with it several incredible new third-party titles, with games such as Cyberpunk 2077 and Street Fighter 6 available right at launch. While the third-party lineup is currently great and will continue to be fantastic, one notable omission at the system’s launch feels fairly notable, and it’s shocking that it wasn’t prioritized as an early release.

Nintendo Switch JoyCon Switch 2 Compatible

Switch 2 Takes the Right Approach With Switch 1 Controllers

Nintendo’s first deep dive into the Switch 2 showcased exciting features, and the way that it handles old controllers is a win.

The Switch 2’s Massive Third-Party Lineup Has A Notable Omission

Genshin Impact’s Lack Of A Switch 2 Release Hasn’t Gone Unnoticed

One notable game that was not a launch title on the Nintendo Switch 2 was that of Genshin Impact. An action RPG released in 2020 by HoYoverse, Genshin Impact has become one of the most popular and profitable games on the market today, grossing well over $6 billion in the five years since its initial release. This success comes despite the fact that the title has not been released on a Nintendo console of any kind, even though it has had major success on mobile devices beyond its release on consoles and PC.

Genshin Impact’s lack of a release on the Nintendo Switch is particularly surprising considering that the title was previously announced to be releasing on the system. Even before the game’s full release back in September 2020, a Switch version of Genshin Impact was confirmed in January of the same year, and the developers continuously reiterated that this port was still in development over the years. Even so, the project never saw a proper release on the original Switch, leading to speculation that this version of the game was quietly canceled.

Genshin Impact Was Already Supposed To Arrive On The Previous Switch

Considering the popularity of the Nintendo Switch and the excitement surrounding the Nintendo Switch 2, a belated release of Genshin Impact on the new platform seemed like a no-brainer. Even if developing for the previous Switch was difficult, the more powerful hardware of the Switch 2 surely should have made a port of Genshin Impact a near-guarantee. Considering that work had seemingly already been done on a version of the game for the original Switch, the developers could move over their current progress onto the Switch 2 and have an easier time working with the new hardware.

Still, Nintendo’s Switch 2 Direct back in April came and went without any news about news regarding Genshin Impact’s arrival on the new platform. And while the new system did receive a surprise release or two, such as the Switch 2 update to No Man’s Sky, the launch of the Switch 2 came and went without any news regarding Genshin Impact’s arrival on Nintendo’s systems. Even with the close proximity of the Summer Game Fest show coming the day after the Switch 2’s launch, alongside the Switch 2 appearing on a list of partners for the show, no news regarding a Genshin Impact port came from this showcase.

Considering the popularity of the Nintendo Switch and the excitement surrounding the Nintendo Switch 2, a belated release of Genshin Impact on the new platform seemed like a no-brainer.

The Switch 2 Has To Be Strong Enough To Run Genshin Impact

Perhaps as Genshin Impact has grown in size and budget, the game has become harder to run on smaller devices such as mobile phones. Just as well, as the game is so heavily based around gacha elements, those features may be harder to implement into Nintendo’s storefront compared to other platforms. Even still, the Switch 2 feels like it’s built far better to handle Genshin Impact than the previous Switch, between its stronger hardware and new features (such as the mouse controls), making the lack of a Genshin Impact port feel all the more noticeable.

The Nintendo Switch 2 has a fantastic early lineup with or without Genshin Impact, but the game’s lack of a release on Nintendo’s new platform feels like an elephant in the room. It’s already incredibly strange that this title never arrived on the previous Switch console despite being announced before it had been released on any platform, so the inability to get a port of it out on the much more powerful Switch 2 is a head-scratcher. Here’s hoping HoYoverse’s wildly popular title arrives on Nintendo’s new platform sooner rather than later.